Visible Cold, Vanishing Point
Mostly cross-posted from The Midnight Hour, as I am tremenjously sick today.
Yesterday I posted about exposition and infodump. More specifically, I answered a Reader’s questions about why infodump is so prevalent. Today my cold is much worse and I am feeling just as cranky, so I thought I’d point you toward that post as my contribution to the world for this week. I’m too sick for much else. When one starts having fever-dreams involving spiders, it’s time to go back to bed.
Before I go on, though: in answer to reader Dave Grenier’s questions: I just did those Vanth paragraphs on the fly, they were disposable. I really wasn’t thinking of much other than illustrating the exposition point. I’m glad you liked them.
I will, in the interests of fully shouldering my blogging responsibilities, mention that I’ve been thinking about artistic synchronicity lately. I heard about Vanishing Point while watching Tarantino’s Death Proof, and of course got it up on my Netflix queue. I enjoyed it quite a bit, but am too sick to come up with any in-depth analysis*. I will just note that after destroying my protagonist’s orange Impala in the current book I was thinking about a replacement car, since Jill is kind of a gearhead. I’m thinking she might have to find a 1970 Dodge Challenger and cherry it out.
I just wonder what color I’ll have to make it for my picky, picky Muse. White would be just too much.
Off I go to take cold medicine and curl back up in bed before everyone else wakes up. Sorry for being a party-pooper, but I am really not up to par today.
* Although there is a Viggo Mortenson remake I fully intend to lay on the floor and watch today. If Viggo doesn’t cure the common cold, there is no hope for humanity.
November 30th, 2007 at 8:46 pm
So, I happened upon your blog through another writer’s blog (and of course now I can’t remember the route I took, but the important point is that I got here), and I was reading yesterday’s post about exposition, and I just wanted to say thank you.
It’s not that I had no idea what the hell it was, but sometimes even a semi-seasoned writer needs something explained to them in simple language. Sometimes we need to be reminded of certain rules and ways of looking at our work which are rudimentary-or should be.
Yesterday I got an email from my editor regarding revisions on the book I turned in the other day. One of the issues she addressed was the use of exposition in dialogue. I knew what she meant as soon as I read her notation, but I didn’t quite absorb it until reading your post. I’ve had a rough couple of days and my brain isn’t really working, so the little boost your post gave me was very helpful. (I believe my inability to find a more expressive word than ‘very’ is an excellent example of how stupid I am today).
Anyway-thank you for being so thoughtful about these things, even when you’re sick. You rock.
December 3rd, 2007 at 2:15 pm
LOL, Vanishing Point is Fireball city at the end isnt it? I watched the original years ago but suspect that this scene is the one that everyone remembers. As to the dodge I really hope it gets the supercharge set.
If memory serves they did do a Challenger on Overhaulin’ so you might want to see if you can find the episode they did that on as they go on about the gearhead stuff that might help you (although it might have been a 1971 instead of the 1970.)
Hope it helps Lili